Film tank agitator



Jan. 3, 1950 w. H. CARR, JR

FILM TANK AGITATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 30. 1947 I INVENTOR,williamli Carr J1:

- ATTORNEY Jan. 3, 1950 w. H. CARR, JR 2,493,441

FILM TANK AGITATOR Filed Sept. 30, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR,

llfilliamli Carr Jr.

ammy Patented Jan. 3, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,493,441 FILMTANK "A I AIT R William H. Carr, Jr., Washington, D. 0. ApplicationSeptember 30; 194'7, Serial No. 776,921

This invention relates to agitators for film tanks.

An object of the invention is the provision of an agitator for filmtanks in which the agitation may be timed as desired, the holder for thetanks being so constructed that it may be adjusted to support tanks ofvarying sizes.

Another object of the invention is the proretaining the holder in apredetermined position. Another object of the invention is the.provision of a mechanism for rocking tanks containing a solution fortreating photographic. films or plates, the tanks being mounted in apivoted and adjustable holder which is rocked periodi cally by anenergized magnet acting on an armature attached to the holder, thetiming of the rocking beingcontrolled by a thermostat including anadjustable member for varying the time at which a circuit to the magnetis closed.

The inventionconsists in the novel construction, arrangement andcombinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described andclaimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view in perspective of a m e chanism foragitating tanks for films,

Figure 2 isa vertical longitudinal section of the mechanism'and'illustratin'g the manner of mounting a film' tank, Figure 3-is'a"fragmentary plan viewot the holder for a'tankyand Figure4"showsmore or less diagrammatically,

a wiring diagram for agitating the device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings i designates a base memberformed of metal. Three tongues are stamped from the metal base beingbent upwardly to form a pair of parallel standards H and i2 and astandard |3 adjacent one end of the base.

A holder It: for a tank I6 (see Figure 2) which is adapted to contain asolution for treating photographic films or plates is pivotally mountedfor rocking movement on the upper ends of the standards H and i2, aswill be described. The holder includes a flat elongated steel plate I!which has upturned side flanges l8 and I9. Tongues iii are struck fromeach flange l8 and i9 and are bent downwardly below the plate IT. Apivot pin I connects each tongue with the 2 adjacently disposed upperends of one offthe standards H and I2 for'pivotally mountingthe holderintermediate the ends of the plate I1." The "flanges terminate at aninner tapered por tion 20 oftl'ie plate. Each flange is provided with apair of horizontally aligned slots 24 and 25. A movable slide 26 formedof wood or other suitable material has projections 21 at its oppositeends received by the slots 24 of the flanges I8 and 101] A similar slide3i] has projections 3| received Lby'the slots 25 of the flanges. All ofthe projec- "t'io'nsarerectangular in cross section to prevent w turningin the slots. The inner wall of eachslide "isjfaced with a rubber mat 32which may be in f'the form of sponge rubber, the latter engaging Lth'eside walls of the film tank 16 as shown in jliigure 2.

A bolt, 35 is secured to each flange l8 and I9 and projects laterallytherefrom. Each bolt is proxvided with an eye 36 at the free end thereofto receive the inner ends of springs 31 and 38. The "outer ends of thesprings 31 are attached to fan eye bolt 39 mounted in each oftheprojections 21 on the slide 26, while aneye bolt 39 extend- "ing fromeach of the projections 3| of the slide "is connected'to the outer endsof the spring ,38. l3y this construction, the pairs of springs 31 and38.tend at all times to pull the slides, 26 and 30 toward' each otherfor clamping the film tank 0. Hi-between the rubber mats 32.

., A coil spring 40 has one end secured at 4| to the outer, end of theplate 20 while'the other end ;,of the spring is connected to a lug 42struck up irom the metal base ll].

A mechanism is provided for pulling downwardly upon the inner end ofarmature 20 periodically against the tension of the spring 4|] 'andsuch*rnec hanisin includes an 'electromagnet 45 mounted on the base It)and energized by an electrical current. Wires and 41 are connected witha coil 48 of the electromagnet (see Figure 4) A double pole double throw110 volt A. C. commercial relay of the time delay type is represented bymember 52. The relay includes an 45 armature 5| upon which contacts 54and 63 are mounted operable against fixed contacts 'II and 64respectively by a spring 53. When the relay coil 50 is energized therelay armature 5| is attracted and the movable contacts 54 and 63 are 50pulled against fixed contacts and I2 respectively. This action energizesthe electromagnet 45 which in turn attracts the armature 20. The circuitenergizing the electromagnet 45 comprises the following members: wires51 and 56, contacts 55 54 and 55, wire 41, electromagnet Winding 48 andwinding 48 and wires 46'and 58.

wires 46 and 58. An attachment plug 59 (Figure 1) forms the connectionwith the source of current. Fixed contacts II and 12 on the relay arenot used electrically but are used as mechanical stops.

The time delay feature of the relay is provided by a heating coil 68encircling a thermostatic strip 6| having a contact 19 mounted on thefree end thereof. When the heating coil 68 has raised the temperature ofthe thermostatic strip 6|, this member bends downwardly bringing thecontact 18 against adjustable contact 68. This action energizes relaycoil 50 causing the armature 5| to be attracted and pulling movablecontacts 54 and 63 against fixed contacts 55 and 12 respectively. Thisaction also separates movable contact 63 from fixed. contact 64 whichbreaks the circuit energizingthe heating coil.

The operation of my device is as follows: The film tank I6 is suppliedwith the proper solution and the films to be treated are disposedtherein. At this time, the mechanism will be in the position shown inFigure 2. The member 59. is then plugged into a socket connected with asource of electrical current so that the current will pass through wires51 and 13 through the heating coil 68, through wire 62, contacts 83 and64 and wires 65 and 58. Since the spring 53 draws the armature 5| awayfrom the relay coil 58 when no current is passing through said coil, thecontacts 63 and 64 are in engagement and in position to maintain aclosed circuit to the heating coil.

The, thermostatic strip 6| with the contact 70 is bent downwardly whensufiiciently heated by the heating coil to so. as to cause theengagement of contact 10 with the adjustable contact 68. When thisoccurs the relay coil is energized and attracts the armature 5|. Thepreceding circuit makes use of the following members in proper sequence:wires 51 and 13, thermostatic strip 6|, contacts 10 and 68 ,'relay coilwinding 69 and wires 6'! and 58. When the armature 5| is drawn againstthe contacts 12 and 55 two actions take place. p by, means of thefollowing members: wire 51 and 56, contacts 54 and 55, wire 41,electromagnet Second, the circuit through the heating coil 60 is brokensince this circuit depends on contacts 63 and 6 4 being in engagement.When the electromagnet 45 is energized it draws the armature 2.8downwardly against the tension of the spring 40 thus rocking the holderI5 in a direction which is opposed to the action of the spring. As the,thermostatic strip 6| is no longer heated it cools and moves upwardscausing contact 10 to become disengaged from contact 68. This actionbreaks the First, the electromagnet is energized circuit through therelay coil winding 69 which de-energizes the relay coil and allows thespring 53 to return the armature 5| to its original position. When thearmature 5| returns to its original position contact 54 is separatedfrom contact 55 thus breaking the circuit through the electromagnetwinding 48 and allowing the spring 49 to return the armature 20 to itsoriginal position. When the armature 5| is in its original positioncontact 63 isin engagement with contact 54 thus energizing the heatingcoil 68 and causing the entire operation to take place again. The numberof operations per minute is dependent on the setting of the adjustablescrew 68.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism for rocking a film tank containing a solution fortreating photographic films, a holder for the film tank comprising anelongated metal bottom plate having upstanding parallel side flangesextending for a portion of the length of the plate, said flanges havingspaced and horizontally aligned elongated slots, a pair of spaced slidesbetween the flanges, a projection on the end of each slide received byan adjace'ntly. disposed slot for guiding the slides towards or awayfrom each other and springs connected between the projections tending todraw the slides toward each other, a resilient pad on the inner face ofeach slide adapted to engage a wall of the film tank, and meanspivotally mounting the plate intermediate the ends thereof.

2. In a mechanism for rocking a film tank containing a solution fortreating photographic films, a holder for, the film tank comprising anelongated metal plate having upturned side flanges extendingapproximately from one end thereof and terminating inwardly of theopposite end of the plate, parallel slides between the flanges,

means urging the slides toward each other for clamping a film tanktherebetween, a base mem ber below the plate, standards rising from thebase member and means pivotally connecting an intermediate portion ofthe plate with the upper ends of the standards.

WILLIAM H. CARR, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 715,301 Schodron Dec. 9, 19021,421,016 Leipold June 27, 1922 1,739,349 Blain Dec. 10, 1929 2,034,902Heinze Mar. 24, 1936 2,048,756 Schultz July 28, 1936 2,104,283 WebsterJan. 4, 1938

